IP Library Granted Patent US 12695427
Granted Patent B2
US 12695427 · App. 18/581,893 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Intercept-temperature drift calibration of a signal strength detector

Inventors: Petrus M. Stroet (Santa Cruz, CA); Daniel J. Linebarger (Los Gatos, CA); John P. Myers (Fremont, CA); Michael Hendrikus Laurentius Kouwenhoven (Morgan Hill, CA)
Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
H03F1/302G01R19/32G01R35/005H03F3/45085H03M1/72H03F2200/261H03F2200/462
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12695427
App. No.
18/581,893
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device may include an intercept-temperature drift input to receive an intercept-temperature drift value. The device may further include a reference current generator that generates a reference current based at least in part on the intercept-temperature drift value. Additionally, the device may include an analog signal chain that adjusts a slope-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector by adjusting a delta proportional to absolute temperature of the analog signal chain.

Claims (37)

1 . A signal-strength detector comprising:

an intercept-temperature drift input to receive an intercept-temperature drift value;

a reference current generator that generates a reference current based at least in part on the intercept-temperature drift value, wherein the reference current generator generates the reference current as a weighted sum of a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current and a complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT) current; and

an analog signal chain that adjusts an intercept-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector based at least in part on the reference current.

2 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , wherein the reference current includes a trim value determined based at least in part on the intercept-temperature drift value, wherein inclusion of the trim value with the reference current causes adjustment of the intercept-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector.

3 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , wherein adjusting a ratio of the PTAT current to the CTAT current adjusts the intercept-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector.

4 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , wherein the analog signal chain includes the reference current generator.

5 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , wherein the reference current generator comprises a first current digital to analog converter (IDAC) configured to weight the PTAT current and a second IDAC configured to weight the CTAT current.

6 . The signal-strength detector of claim 5 , wherein a sum of the weighted PTAT current and the weighted CTAT current provides a fine adjustment of the reference current, and wherein the reference current generator further comprises a third IDAC that provides a coarse adjustment of the reference current.

7 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , further comprising a resistive heater configured to apply heat to the analog signal chain.

8 . The signal-strength detector of claim 7 , wherein the resistive heater is configured to support an OFF state and a plurality of ON states, wherein each ON state of the plurality of ON states causes a different amount of heat to be applied to the analog signal chain.

9 . The signal-strength detector of claim 7 , wherein the intercept-temperature drift value is determined based at least in part on a plurality of output values of the signal-strength detector obtained for an input current at a plurality of temperature values and a plurality of reference current values.

10 . The signal-strength detector of claim 9 , wherein the resistive heater applies different amounts of heat to the analog signal chain to obtain the plurality of temperature values.

11 . The signal-strength detector of claim 9 , wherein the intercept-temperature drift value is determined using regression analysis on the plurality of output values of the signal-strength detector obtained for the input current at the plurality of temperature values and the plurality of reference current values.

12 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , further comprising a non-volatile memory configured to store the intercept-temperature drift value, and wherein the reference current generator accesses the intercept-temperature drift value from the non-volatile memory.

13 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , further comprising an interface circuit configured to receive the intercept-temperature drift value from the intercept-temperature drift input and to store the intercept-temperature drift value at a non-volatile memory.

14 . The signal-strength detector of claim 1 , further comprising an analog temperature compensation circuit that adjusts a slope-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector by at least adding the PTAT current to a zero to absolute temperature (ZTAT) current.

15 . The signal-strength detector of claim 14 , wherein the analog temperature compensation circuit is connected in series with the analog signal chain, and wherein the analog temperature compensation circuit generates an output of the signal-strength detector corresponding to a measured signal strength of an input signal.

16 . The signal-strength detector of claim 14 , wherein the PTAT current is a trim current that is added to the ZTAT current and to a second PTAT current.

17 . The signal-strength detector of claim 14 , wherein the PTAT current is determined using regression analysis on a plurality of slope-temperature drift values at a plurality of temperatures applied by a resistive heater of the signal-strength detector.

18 . A photocurrent detection system comprising:

a photocurrent detector configured to receive a photocurrent output by a photodiode; and

a signal-strength detector configured to measure a signal strength of the photocurrent output, wherein the signal-strength detector comprises:

an intercept-temperature drift input to receive an intercept-temperature drift value;

a reference current generator that generates a reference current based at least in part on the intercept-temperature drift value; and

an analog signal chain that adjusts an intercept-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector based at least in part on the reference current.

19 . A method of calibrating a signal-strength detector, the method comprising:

causing a resistive heater of the signal-strength detector to be in an OFF state;

for an input current value corresponding to a photocurrent of a photodetector and when the resistive heater is in the OFF state,

sweeping a slope-temperature drift of an output value of the signal-strength detector generated based on the input current value among a range of slope-temperature drift values; and

for each slope-temperature drift value of the range of slope-temperature drift values, sweeping a reference current value among a range of reference current values to obtain a first set of intercept values;

causing the resistive heater to be in an ON state, wherein the resistive heater heats at least an analog signal chain of the signal-strength detector when in the ON state;

for the input current value corresponding to the photocurrent of the photodetector and when the resistive heater is in the ON state,

sweeping the slope-temperature drift of the output value of the signal-strength detector generated based on the input current value among the range of slope-temperature drift values; and

for each slope-temperature drift value of the range of slope-temperature drift values, sweeping the reference current value among the range of reference current values to obtain a second set of intercept values;

using the first set of intercept values and the second set of intercept values, performing linear regression to determine an intercept-temperature drift control value that minimizes intercept-temperature drift of the signal-strength detector; and

configuring a register value of the signal-strength detector with the intercept-temperature drift control value, wherein the signal-strength detector sets the reference current value based at least in part on the intercept-temperature drift control value during operation.